Parallel Exit presents SUNSET CIRCUS on Sunday March 22, 2026 and Sunday May 3, 2026 at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10023 at 11AM and at 2PM. Orchestra tickets are $50, balcony tickets are $40, and all audience members receive special circus coloring book pages digitally with the purchase of tickets! Visit here for tickets and more information. For group sales, please inquire at sunsetcircustickets@gmail.com.

SUNSET CIRCUS is back by popular demand with new, never-before-seen Juggling and Aerial Acts! A circus for audiences of all ages, SUNSET CIRCUS is a family you’ve just met but you’ve known forever. Featuring circus artists from Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and beyond, SUNSET CIRCUS features a sensational cast of seven circus artists, including aerialists, jugglers, acrobats, and comedians who will bring audiences laughter, awe, and perhaps a tear. This unique theatrical circus experience presents innovative circus acts interwoven with characters who would be at home in your own backyard, entertaining everyone from kids to parents and grandparents.

Production Credits

Presented by Parallel Exit

Written by Joel Jeske

Directed by Mark Lonergan

Produced by Fran Kirmser

Costume Design by Julie Michael and Estefania Zambrano

Lighting Design by Sara Gosses

Original Score composed by Peter Bufano

Featuring: Ingrid Apgar, Kyle Driggs, Shereen Hickman, Joel Jeske, Randy Kato, Stephanie Keaton, and Ryan Shinji Murray.

Joel Jeske is a three-time Drama Desk nominated performer, writer, teacher, and director. He is the Associate Artistic Director for the physical theatre company Parallel Exit where he created and starred in Parallel Exit’s Off-Broadway hits THIS WAY THAT WAY, CUT TO THE CHASE, ROOM 17B, EVERYBODY GETS CAKE!, and THE ARTIST WILL BE WITH YOU IN A MOMENT. Internationally, Joel starred at the Apollo Variete in Dusseldorf, Germany, the Festival Der Traume in Innsbruck, Austria, the COS Festival in Reus, Spain, and the AEMI International Clown Festival in Shanghai and Hangzhou, China. As writer/performer, Joel, along with Parallel Exit, toured Germany for two years performing their slapstick vaudeville EXIT! for the GOP Variete Theaters and Cabarets. As a clown, Joel starred in and created clown acts for Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus, Cirque Du Soleil, and The Big Apple Circus’ The Grand Tour and 40th Anniversary. He recently traveled under the sea as the physical comedy consultant for SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: The Broadway Musical. Check out his recently updated website: www.joeljeske.com

Mark Lonergan is a New York-based director/creator, and the Artistic Director of Parallel Exit, a three-time Drama Desk Award nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience. With Parallel Exit, he has created many original and award-winning works of physical theatre. Mark’s work has been seen in theatres and festivals in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. In New York City, he has presented work at The New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center, 59E59 Theaters, Symphony Space, and the Guggenheim Museum. He recently directed EXIT, a variety circus production that toured Germany. Mark was the Guest Director for three productions of The Big Apple Circus, each a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Mark was the Physical Comedy Consultant for Tony winner Christian Borle in the City Center Encores production of Me And My Girl. He was also the Creative Director for Vermont’s celebrated Circus Smirkus for five seasons.

Parallel Exit is a three-time Drama Desk nominee for Unique Theatrical Experience, dedicated to creating original works of physical theatre. New York City productions include THE ARTIST WILL BE WITH YOU IN A MOMENT (A.R.T./NY Theatres); EVERYBODY GETS CAKE!, ROOM 17B, CUT TO THE CHASE, and THIS WAY THAT WAY (all at 59E59 Theaters); TIME STEP (New Victory Theater); and EXIT STAGE LEFT (Lincoln Center Institute). Led by Artistic Director Mark Lonergan since its initial informal launch in 1997 with the production of WHITE/NOISE/JUMP (“Best in the Fringe Festival — Excellence in Theatre,” New York International Fringe Festival), the company engages in extensive artistic programming, artist capacity building, and youth education initiatives, throughout New York City’s five boroughs, across the United States, and in countries around the world. Parallel Exit creates compelling stories that are often family-friendly, cultivating art that speaks to a culturally boundless audience of any age. Productions have received both local and international praise for their inventiveness, energy, and originality, with presentations at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the UK (winning a Spirit of the Fringe Award); and physical theatre festivals in Poland, Spain, Austria, and Japan. Following an extended 2014-2015 German tour in partnership with GOP Variety Arts Theatre Circuit, Parallel Exit served as the powerhouse behind Big Apple Circus’ critically-acclaimed The Grand Tour (2015), marking the beginning of a new chapter that radiates with excitement. www.parallelexit.com

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